असुर

See also: असर

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit असुर (ásura), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hásuras.

Noun

असुर • (asur) m

(Hinduism) a demon, an asura

Declension

Declension of असुर
	Singular	Plural
Direct	असुर (asur)	असुर (asur)
Oblique	असुर (asur)	असुरों (asurõ)
Vocative	असुर (asur)	असुरो (asuro)

Sanskrit

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *Hásuras, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hásuras, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ń̥suros.

Related to असु (asu-), with several possible etymologies and meanings. In the context of asura conventionally associated with asu- in the sense of "master of the house". This meaning is not further narrowed by its etymology: cf. Avestan 𐬀𐬵𐬎‎ (ahu, “lord”) and 𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬭𐬀‎ (ahura, “lord”), Hittite 𒈗 (ḥaššū, “king”), and Latin erus (“lord”). Possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ens- (“to engender, beget”). Compare Old Norse æsir.

The Brahmanas and the Puranas derive asura from another asu-, "breath", a cognate of which is found in Av. ahu-, "life, existence". In yet other post-Vedic Sanskrit literature, asura was back-formed as a-sura, "non-sura", with sura then associated with a group of gods who inhabit Indra's domain.

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

ᬅᬲᬸᬭ (Balinese script)
অসুৰ (Assamese script)
অসুর (Bengali script)
𑰀𑰭𑰲𑰨 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀅𑀲𑀼𑀭 (Brahmi script)
𑌅𑌸𑍁𑌰 (Grantha script)
અસુર (Gujarati script)
ꦄꦱꦸꦫ (Javanese script)
ಅಸುರ (Kannada script)
အသုရ (Burmese script)
ଅସୁର (Oriya script)
ꢂꢱꢸꢬ (Saurashtra script)
𑆃𑆱𑆶𑆫 (Sharada script)
𑖀𑖭𑖲𑖨 (Siddham script)
అసుర (Telugu script)
ཨསུར (Tibetan script)
𑒁𑒮𑒳𑒩 (Tirhuta script)

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɐ́.s̪u.ɽɐ/
(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɐ.s̪u.ɽɐ/

Noun

असुर • (ásura) m

spirit, good spirit, supreme spirit (said of Varuna)
the chief of the evil spirits
an evil spirit, demon, ghost, opponent of the gods
name of Rāhu
the sun
cloud
(in the plural) name of a warrior-tribe
name of a Vedic school
zodiacal sign
Sinapis ramosa (in later Sanskrit सुर (sura) has been formed from असुर (asura), as सित (sita), from असित (asita))

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of असुर (ásura)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	असुरः ásuraḥ	असुरौ ásurau	असुराः / असुरासः¹ ásurāḥ / ásurāsaḥ¹
Vocative	असुर ásura	असुरौ ásurau	असुराः / असुरासः¹ ásurāḥ / ásurāsaḥ¹
Accusative	असुरम् ásuram	असुरौ ásurau	असुरान् ásurān
Instrumental	असुरेण ásureṇa	असुराभ्याम् ásurābhyām	असुरैः / असुरेभिः¹ ásuraiḥ / ásurebhiḥ¹
Dative	असुराय ásurāya	असुराभ्याम् ásurābhyām	असुरेभ्यः ásurebhyaḥ
Ablative	असुरात् ásurāt	असुराभ्याम् ásurābhyām	असुरेभ्यः ásurebhyaḥ
Genitive	असुरस्य ásurasya	असुरयोः ásurayoḥ	असुराणाम् ásurāṇām
Locative	असुरे ásure	असुरयोः ásurayoḥ	असुरेषु ásureṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

→ Burmese: သုရာ (su.ra)
→ Chinese: 阿修羅 (āxiūluó)
- → Japanese: 阿修羅 (ashura)
→ Gujarati: અસુર (asur)
→ Hindi: असुर (asur)
→ Khmer: អសុរ (ʾɑsoʾ)
→ Marathi: आश्रू (āśrū)
→ Tamil: அசுரன் (acuraṉ)
→ Telugu: అసురుడు (asuruḍu)
→ Thai: อสูร (à-sǔun)
→ Tocharian B: asūre

References

Monier Williams (1899), “असुर”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, OCLC 458052227, page 0121.

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